The Central Committee of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine concluded a series of meetings inside and outside Palestine to discuss national, regional and international political developments.

At the conclusion of its meetings, the CC emphasizes that the world is witnessing the emergence of a new and multipolar world order in which groupings of major states (such as the BRICS, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) are playing a greater role on political and economic fronts, including limiting the sole power of the US that has dominated over the past two decades to dominate the international environment and which has exercised its imperial powers on a global level. The CC particularly noted the key role of the US in the denial of the fair and legitimate rights of our people to liberate our land and win independence, democracy, social progress and development.

The CC noted that we are witnessing uprisings and popular movements throughout the region, and that such prove the ability of the Arab people to secure their rights and win victories over tyranny, corruption and dependency, and can establish democratic and pluralistic Arab states that respect the freedom, dignity and rights of their people, including their democratic, political, social and cultural rights. The CC noted that any attempts at foreign intervention or containment of the results of these uprisings and transitions to democracy, and attempts to undermine and tamper with the destiny of our people require forceful rejection and condemnation. The CC emphasized that the revolutions and the popular movements can achieve their objectives of change, freedom, democracy, justice, and human dignity, and protect the region and its people from further bloodshed or being drawn into civil war, the placement of military bases, and foreign intervention.

The situation of the Palestinian cause will remain central to all Arab peoples, as well as the utter rejection of US and NATO intervention as such intervention does not benefit our people and their legitimate aspirations for freedom, democracy, and social justice. It is clear that the so-called “democratization” promoted by the US is a cover for aggression, terrorism, human rights abuses, intelligence and security states, and criminal assassinations, as well as a cover for the crimes of its strategic ally, the occupation Zionist state, and supports US control over the region’s oil and domination of its wealth.

The CC also addressed the situation of the Palestinian national movement on political, official, diplomatic and resistance levels, denouncing the ‘revolving door’ situation of the parties to the Palestinian division, saying that its continuation has hindered in practice our national movement’s ability to recover and achieve national unity as a necessary objective to confront recurring crises. The inability to confront crisis has reflected negatively on our national institutions and has not supported our people in confronting the Zionist entity, its extremism and increasingly racist governments committed to the absolute denial of the rights of the Palestinian people and commitment to what it calls “the state of the Jewish people” to be built on the ruins of the Palestinian people and their rights.

The CC stressed that:

First, there is an urgent need to end the division and achieve national unity without delay, as the currnent situation is not sufficient to address the needs of the Palestinian national movement and the Palestinian people. Unity is the only option – a single glimmer of hope for national salvation and an exit from the cycle of negotiations and reliance on the US, particularly in light of the increasing and aggressive settlement expansion, the siege on Gaza, and the ongoing denial and liquidation of our people’s hard-earned struggle for freedom, independence and return under the cover of ‘negotiations’ and the ‘revival of the peace process.’

Second, it is urgent to internationalize the case of the prisoners in the framework of international and humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions. The prisoners must be at the top of the political and diplomatic agenda of the Palestinian movement as part of a comprehensive national plan to free the prisoners. This will enhance the success of the heroic battle for freedom and dignity which was fought and continues to be fought by thousands of prisoners against the violations of the Zionist prisons, dungeons and concentration camps. This is a strategic return of the Palestinian cause to the United Nations to protect the Palestinian people and their unsatisfied rights, including the right to full recognition and membership of the State of Palestine.

Third, the CC calls upon the Palestinian leadership to exit all negotiations and security and economic commitments made by reference to the US, and to end reliance on absurd negotiations and agreements, which have reached an utterly dead end and are dangerous and destructive to the national project and support only the crimes and violations of the occupation and its denial of our people’s internationally recognized rights to sovereignty, independence, self-determination and return.

Fourth, all forms of resistance must be protected in word and deed, including promoting popular resistance to confront and expose the aggression, settlements, siege and crimes of the occupation are continuing in full swing, and holding the occupation accountable before international courts. It is urgent to activate the Arab and international boycott of Israel and BDS, as well as the international fight against normalization. This is critical to a sincere and comprehensive national movement in which all can participate. After 64 years of Nakba and occupation and 20 years of sterile negotiations, the emerging shifts on the Arab, regional and international level are leading to the development of a comprehensive national resistance strategy to promote popular steadfastness. It is necessary to rebuild the Palestinian house by holding democratic elections for a new Palestinian National Council and for all Palestinian institutions, trade unions, political and local authorities according to proportional representation, in order to consolidate national unity and restore the status of the PLO as a national reference and the sole legitimate representative of our people.

Fifth, the concession of the Prison Service and the occupation authorities to the will and demands of the prisoners in the battle of the empty stomachs is an important step forward on the path of struggle and victory of the will of the people, in the epic struggle of dignity and freedom undertaken by the prisoners and their leadership. The prisoners’ struggle has involved all sectors of our people – men, women, elders, children, all national and Islamic forces and popular institutions – and the solidarity movement and allies around the world in support of the Palestinian people. The CC congratulated the prisoners’ movement who engaged without hesitation in the battle of empty stomachs, raising slogans of hunger with no surrender, victory or death. Their struggle brought an unprecedented awareness of the human struggle of the prisoners through open hunger strike and popular resistance, and the CC thanked all who contributed to this achievement. The victory of the prisoners is inspiration for our people and proof that unity of purpose, leadership and just struggle will result in victory over injustice and aggression, and that the spirit of initiative, courage and sacrifice is apparent in a leadership worthy of its mission that has earned the confidence of the people on the path of resistance and struggle and victory. The CC saluted the heroic comrades in the prison and the leadership of the prison branch, led by the General Secretary, Comrade Ahmad Sa’adat, and renewed their commitment to continue on their path of struggle.

The CC also saluted the martyrs of the Palestinian revolution and the martyrs of freedom in the world and promised to the martyrs of our people and our nation, the prisoners of freedom and their families, to remain loyal to their blood and sacrifice and to achieve the lofty goals for which they sacrificed and struggled.

May 16, 2012
Central Committee of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine

The following letter was written by Comrade Ahmad Sa’adat, General Secretary of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, from his isolation on the eighth day of the prisoners’ strike, and smuggled out to the world. It calls for support for the hunger strike on Palestinian, Arab and international levels:

Dearest Umm Ghassan, and all my loved ones;

Ghassan, Amal, Iba, Loay, Sumoud, Yassar, and my whole family;

Do not worry, my health is much better than in the previous hunger strike, and I am confident it will remain so. Thank you for your continual support to my position in this hunger strike. As is the case in every strike, they took all of our electrical appliances, canteen, clothing…we only have left prison clothes, some change of underwear, pajamas, towels, soap and toothpaste.

All of us have lost about 5-7 kilograms in weight, but everyone is in good health and most importantly, high morale, and are determined to continue the strike. We are confident of victory, relying on the justice of our cause and our demands, and the support of the masses of our people, our nation, and the free world – individuals, organizations and institutions – standing, as always alongside our just struggle.

These demands include a number of legitimate human rights under international law, including abolition of solitary confinement as a dangerous form of torture with no security or legal justification and contrary to international humanitarian law and all international conventions that prohibit torture. We are also demanding an end to the prohibition of family visits to the prisoners from Gaza for more than seven years, as well as interference with family visitors from the West Bank under the pretext of ‘security reasons’, and demanding that such visits be allowed for extended as well as immediate family.

What we need from the masses of the people, political forces and institutions is to raise the voices and the call of our just demands of the prisoners with a unified voice, and not subject the cause of the prisoners to internal disputes or the management of division.

This strike includes participation from all political forces and factions, without exception, and the best gift from the political forces supporting us is to implement agreements for unity, on which the ink is not yet dry. Such unity is an essential foundation, the most important pillar to achieve our just national goals.

In conclusion, I salute and thank all of the Palestinian, Arab and international forces standing beside our just struggle.

Forward to victory!
Ahmad Sa’adat
April 24, 2012
Eighth day of hunger strike

To the masses of the Palestinian people, and all of your forces, organizations and institutions-

We greet you and your revolutionary steadfastness, which is bound to achieve a triumphant victory despite the long night of the hateful occupation.

In light of the urgent need to confront the Israeli Prison Services and their ongoing and escalating inhuman practices, and to escalate the prisoners’ struggle, and after lengthy and in-depth dialogue among the prisoners’ movement for over two years, a united national position including the majority of the sectors and forces of the prisoners’ movement has come forward to fight the battle of the empty intestines – the battle of the prisoners’ spring. This battle comes amid a spirit of defiance and steadfastness among the prisoners, and determination to confront solitary confinement, the denial of visits to prisoners from Gaza, demand the abolition of the “Shalit law,” demand the right to education, and the restoration of prisoners’ rights that have been trampled on in recent years.

We call upon all of our comrades throughout the prisons to be at high readiness and great pride to fight this battle. Despite the passage of less than six months after our last battle for freedom, demanding an end to solitary confinement and isolation, we are committed to this great struggle. Comrade Ahed Abu Ghoulmeh will be our representative in the Higher National Leadership Committee to coordinat and lead the strike.

We also call upon the masses of the Palestinian people everywhere they are, upon our national and Islamic institutions, upon the Arab nation and upon all progressive forces around the world to take up and engage with the struggle of the prisoners who need your support and action.

Together, we will march forward until the spring of prisoners blossoms on the road of the Palestinian Spring.

Leadership of the Prison Branch of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said on March 9, 2012 that it is clear that resistance must be the path forward, particularly in light of the massacres and assassinations in Gaza. The PFLP, on behalf of its General Secretary, leadership and cadres saluted the martyrs Zuhair Qaisi (Abu Ibrahim) and Mahmoud Hanani, and all of the martyrs who were slain in the coming day during the brutal aggression on the Gaza Strip.

The Front expressed its deepest condolences to the Palestinian people and the families of the martyrs, promising to continue to struggle until liberation is achieved, saying that their deaths will not be in vain. The PFLP expressed that it is clear that the resistance approach is correct, pledging to adhere firmly to resistance in light of the escalating aggression of the Zionist occupation against our people.

The PFLP also called upon the people of the world to express their solidarity with Gaza and the Palestinian people and their indignation at the ongoing war crimes of the occupation, in defiance of the people of the world who have come out time and again for Palestine and demanding accountability for occupation war criminals.

Once again, said the Front, the occupation chooses the road of oppression, massacre and murder, and attempts to subdue our people by force. The Front said that this has been confirmed repeatedly throughout the history of our struggle, making it clear that the occupier does not care about the international community, its decisions, or so-called “peace negotiations” and understands only the language of fire and power. The conflict, said the Front, is open with the occupier – and it will end with liberation, independence, self-determination and return.

The Front said that this escalation is the implementation of the occupation’s policy that has existed throughout history, attacking the symbols of resistance and the leaders of our people. This also comes alongside the escalation of occupation attacks in Jerusalem and al-Khalil, in conjunction with the visit of the head of the occupation state to the United States.

The PFLP confirmed that the crimes of the occupation will only generate more blows by the resistance and will only increase our determination to adhere to resistance as the only option to confront the usurping occupier.

Comrade Maher Taher, member of the Political Bureau of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and leader of its branch in exile, entered the Gaza Strip on Sunday, February 26, 2012, after over thirty years outside Palestine. He saluted the land and people of Palestine, and the struggles of Gaza, “the steadfast, the land of martyrs and sacrifices and the land of valor.”

“At this moment, I enter into the Gaza Strip, of the beloved land of Palestine, and we will fight and struggle, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year and generation after generation until every inch of our beloved Palestinian land is free,” said Taher. “The valiant Gaza Strip raised the heads of the Arab and Islamic nations high, when it held out and resisted for 22 days in the face of the most powerful killing machine and massive destruction, and said to the world, and to the Zionist terorists on our land, that this is our Jerusalem, our olive trees, our mosques, our churches, and our Palestine from the river to the sea.”

Taher continued, “This is our homeland…and we will liberate it completely from the river to the sea. We will not accept compromises nor abandon any speck of the soil of this land.” He greeted the mothers of martyrs, telling them that the precious blood of their children will not be abandoned or forgotten, saying that “we will remain loyal to each drop of blood shed for Palestine.” He also saluted the prisoners in the jails of the occupation, greeted the freed prisoners, and vowed to struggle to free them all from the occupation’s prisons, with PFLP general secretary Comrade Ahmad Sa’adat at the forefront. Comrade Taher expressed the greetings of six million Palestinians struggling for their right to return to their land, in particular our people in the refugee camps in Lebanon, Syria and Jordan and in all areas of exile and diaspora near and far from Palestine. He emphasized that the Palestinian people in occupied Palestine ’48, in the West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem, and everywhere in exile and diaspora, are one people, united, with one goal for one land – and that the pledge to all of our people must be to continue in struggle and resistance until the liberation of the land.

He also carried a message to the parties responsible for the division, emphasizing that Palestinian national unity is a necessity and a prerequisite for victory. He said that it was necessary “to unite the energies of our people…of all trends, to confront the main contradiction – with the Zionist enemy. There is no substitute for unity but unity.” He emphasized that Palestinians must not rely on negotiations and political processes that only benefit the occupation, saying that it is clear that the occupation controls such processes in their entirety. He emphasized the need to rebuild the Palestine Liberation Organization, with all national and Islamic forces inside its framework, to unite all efforts toward the liberation of our land.

Comrade Kayed al-Ghoul, member of the Central Committee of the PFLP and leader of its branch in Gaza, spoke welcoming Comrade Taher, noting that his visit will last several days for a series of meetings and programs before his return to Damascus, Syria.

An Israeli missile is launched from the Iron Dome missile system in response to a rocket launch (AFP/David Buimovitch)

BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The PFLP military wing claimed it fired three projectiles into Israel on Sunday afternoon, hours after a ceasefire stemming hostilities that killed 10 Gaza fighters since Saturday.

An Israeli army spokesman said a mortar shell at 5 p.m. and a rocket at 7 p.m. landed in open areas in the southern Hof Ashkelon area, causing no damage or injuries.

The PFLP’s Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades said in a statement received by Ma’an that it fired two rockets and two homemade projectiles from Gaza into southern Israel after 4 p.m.

The mortar was the first flare up since shortly after 6 a.m. the army spokesman said, when Islamic Jihad agreed to hold a truce in a deal brokered by Egypt.

An Israeli airstrike Sunday afternoon killed a leader of the National Resistance Brigades, the armed wing of the DFLP, and injured another man, hours after the deal was reported.

In a statement Sunday, the National Resistance Brigades confirmed its member Ahmad Jarkhoun was killed in the Israeli airstrike and called on resistance factions in Gaza to retaliate for “this cowardly crime.”

Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip killed nine fighters from Islamic Jihad’s armed wing on Saturday, and Gaza militants fired a volley of rockets and mortars into southern Israel, killing one Israeli in Ashkelon.

Like this:

Gaza | A couple hours after midnight Gaza was shaken by a huge explosion, turns out that the Israeli F16s and other warplanes bombed “Badr” security HQ. that belongs to Hamas which is located in Al Naser neighborhood in Gaza city, its noteworthy that this time security HQ. was bombed countless times before.

A few minutes later a huge explosion rocked Northern Gaza, Israeli warplanes bombed a second security HQ. that belongs to Hamas there. Then they moved south and started bombing the tunnels area in Rafah city, Southern Gaza.

Medics reported that two children were injured due to those Israeli nightly attacks on Gaza.

The Palestinian resistance fired 2 grad rockets earlier from Gaza into Israel, caused no injuries, so Israel used this incident as a pretext for their attacks.

Israel never needed an excuse to bomb Gaza, they didn’t have or need one when they started the vicious assault on Gaza back in 2008-2009 that lasted for nearly one month and left thousands of martyrs, injured, demolished houses and destruction behind.

Thus far I have been extremely reserved about the events of this hijacking, with regard to the instigators of this hostile takeover I have only stated one primary fact. That is that the vehicles bought with funds acquired for Trade Not Aid were fraudulently registered in the name of Catherine Myles. This fact alone should be sufficient to tell people what this hijacking is all about.

But despite my limiting the information to the facts, the takeover crew are now continuously engaged in a slander campaign ala Jo Ann Westcott. Catherine Myles and Saeb Shaath, are now working as one, and what is being said is disgusting and dangerous. Among the claims these two are responsible for, and this is not a comprehensive list;

1) I have stolen money from my campaign.

2) That I am mentally ill.

3) That I see “Islam is a joke”.

4) That I have “nearly” been arrested twice in Gaza by Hamas because I attempted to lure young woman to my apartment.

5) That I am unwelcome in Gaza.

I have spoken to Noor Harazzen, the Palestinian Director for the Samouni Project in Gaza, she has verified that she and any other woman I had contact with is now in danger in Gaza. These lies are actively being spread both online and with the people of Gaza directly, including the Samouni family. The maliciousness of spreading these lies with the children of the Samouni family, children I helped build a playground for, children I am developing a classroom and education program for, is tantamount to emotional torture. These children love me and I love them, and the spreading of lies about me to them is unforgivable. It reeks of Zionist tactics and shames everyone involved.

For those who do not know, the accusation that a young, un-married woman would be involved in an intimate relationship with a married, Western man is explosively dangerous. Noor is a courageous young woman and I am honoured to have her as a sister and a colleague, but I am angry that such a dedicated young sister would be put in serious danger, used as a pawn by people stealing a mission intended to help Palestine. All of this is nothing more than a blatant power grab, and Noor, along with other Palestinian sisters are apparently meaningless.

Saeb Shaath knows the danger I am speaking about here and thus I cannot be silent about the disgraceful role Mr. Shaath is playing in this madness. Mr. Shaath was in my home in the last week, he held my baby boy and claimed to bless him; he said repeatedly, minutes before the “committee” meeting used to hijack my mission, “I am behind you 100% brother”.

At this point Catherine Myles is no better than Jo Ann Westcott, both are first class slanderers who would be facing slander and liable charges in court if only I had the money. Saeb Shaath is now part of this threesome, claiming to lead the mission I founded, Saeb Shaath is by his participation and silence party to a fraud, and now he is complicit in a slander and recklessly endangerment that puts young woman in Gaza in grave danger.

If anything happens to any of the woman I knew in Gaza then Catherine Myles, Jo Ann Westcott and Saeb Shaath should all be held responsible. I call on Saeb Shaath to preserve some semblance of dignity, walk away from this disgraceful hijacking and condemn both Jo Ann Westcott and Catherine Myles for their dangerous and disgusting slander.

Last May we joined our voices with people from around the world in outrage after Israeli commandos killed 9 activists on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. We demanded an end to the U.S. aid to Israel because we know that Israel’s deadly attack on the Flotilla and its illegal blockade of Gaza would not be possible without the military and diplomatic support of the United States. Israel carried out a horrendous military assault on this aid convoy carrying wheelchairs, cement, water purification systems, children’s toys and notebook paper to Gaza because they politicized humanitarian aid.

On September 24th last year, FBI agents raided the homes of peace and anti-war activists in Minneapolis and Chicago as well as our office, and issued subpoenas to 14 activists to appear before a federal grand jury in an investigation of alleged material support for terrorism. The number of activists subpoenaed to date has grown to 23, and one of the common threads that has emerged in this “investigation” is related to the activists’ solidarity work with the people of occupied Palestine.

We are outraged that history is repeating itself. Not only is the second Gaza Flotilla being prevented from delivering humanitarian aid to Palestine, this act of solidarity is being demonized as material support for terrorism by the U.S. State Department. It has been widely reported that the State Department regards the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza as equivalent to “conspiring to deliver material support” to Hamas, and could result in lengthy prison sentences for flotilla participants. It is outlandish that rather than using their influence with the Israeli government to help the American citizens on the Flotilla that the U.S. State Department is threatening prosecution. The Flotilla is an incredibly brave act of international solidarity, not a criminal act punishable by the United States. The real criminals are the people working to keep badly needed supplies out of Gaza!

The Anti-War Committee knows that now more than ever it is essential that we stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine and that we truly change U.S. foreign policy. We urge our supporters to take action in solidarity with the Flotilla and to keep sending humanitarian aid to the people affected by U.S. sponsored warfare – including Palestinians.

What you can do:

U.S. Boat to Gaza is urging supporters to immediately contact the Greek Embassy in Washington, DC at 202-939-1300 and by fax at 202-939-1324. Please tell them to let The Audacity of Hope leave Athens safely and sail to Gaza.

End the Occupation is calling of supporters to call the State Department at 202-647-6575 and demand that it retract its June 24 statement that the flotilla and the U.S. Boat to Gaza are “irresponsible and provocative actions.”

We should demand that the United States stop threatening U.S. citizens acting peacefully to break Israel’s illegal and immoral blockade of Gaza that their actions “could violate U.S. civil and criminal statutes and could lead to fines and incarceration.”

Demand that the United States ensures safe passage for the flotilla and that it ends U.S. support for Israel’s illegal blockade of the Gaza Strip.